Some authors and publishers worry that having their books offered for free check out in libraries will hurt consumer sales. This is probably more of an issue with fiction than with nonfiction. But many people who check out fiction in libraries are voracious readers who get most of their reading material from libraries and don't purchase many books.
Library usage can actually boost sales of nonfiction books. Library patrons often purchase a nonfiction book they have checked out from the library, because they want their own copy for future reference or to make notes in.
Having your book in libraries is also good publicity. Anyone who sees or reads your book can potentially recommend it to others.
Nearly $1.8 billion worth of books were purchased by libraries in 2005, according to the Book Industry Study Group. Don't miss out on this potentially lucrative market.
Excerpted from The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Selling Your Book to Libraries.
Plus it often applies to fiction as well. If you read it from the library and like it, you may buy a copy, or better yet, buy other books in a series or by the same author. I do it all the time.
Best, and keep on blogging.
Posted by: Angel | June 22, 2009 at 08:32 AM
Angel, that's a great point! And sometimes your library won't have all the books in a series.
Dana
Posted by: Dana Lynn Smith | June 22, 2009 at 09:07 AM
I figure these are two different markets: libraries and private buyers. To me, libraries are just another corporate buyer - and a big one. I don't think library sales, fiction or non, hurt sales at all. I've never seen a book I want in a store, and then waited to check the library before I bought it!
Posted by: Timothy | June 22, 2009 at 03:03 PM
Great point, Dana. Having your book in libraries seems like a great way to expose it to more people... a little like advertising or PR. But, you're getting paid rather than paying for it. Come to think of it, I've either purchased or recommended others to purchase books that I've checked out from the library in the past.
Posted by: Shannon Nicholson | June 23, 2009 at 09:48 AM
I haven't found this to be the case. I work with authors whose book are carried in libraries, and I can think of at least one author whose sales were most definitely affected when the local public library in her town started carrying her book. She had a hard time getting people to attend her book signing events because everyone she knew told her "I already read your book. I got it at the library." Libraries do buy a lot of books, but libraries in your area may only buy a few copies of any one title.
Posted by: Terry Cordingley | June 25, 2009 at 11:53 PM
there is no single correct answer to this question I think . . . depends on the type of book. if you use a reference book repeatedly, it's more convenient to own it. if a book is needng updating, like a travel book, than you might buy the most recent addition for a trip. but for me, I don't see how people being able to get it for free from a library is going to help sales at all. (even worse is the comment "I loved your book so much I loaned it to 20 of my friends and they all loved it too.") I wish we would do here what they do in England: every time a book under copyright gets checked out, a small royalty fee is sent to the author.
Posted by: justin locke | August 03, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Not only are books in libraries good things but librarians are great promoters of writers. They are connected to their communities and do a lot to raise awareness of your as an author. I've got nothing but love for librarians and library sales!
Posted by: Teri Coyne | October 23, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Well put Teri! Thanks for sharing.
Dana
Posted by: Dana Lynn Smith | October 23, 2009 at 02:24 PM